Édouard Philippe, the centrist candidate for the French presidential election, accused his far-right rival Marine Le Pen of a secret attempt to exit the European Union (Frexit). Philippe said at the Paris competitiveness summit, "There is something in Marine Le Pen's proposals that has the potential to explode Europe or, in other words, can break it."
Criticism of Le Pen's Financial Plans
Philippe, who is seen as the leading centrist candidate to challenge Le Pen in the polls, strongly attacked Le Pen's financial plans. He stated that her proposal for a drastic reduction of France's contribution to the EU budget means "wanting to exit Europe" without openly talking about leaving. Le Pen had previously called for a referendum on leaving the European Union, but she set this proposal aside after a heavy defeat in the 2017 elections.
Criticism of Cost Predictions
Philippe also described Le Pen's financial plans as "grotesque" and accused her of presenting "imaginary savings." He pointed to Le Pen's inefficiency in estimating the costs of pension reforms, stating that she is even unable to estimate the costs of her own plan. While Le Pen had estimated that reducing the retirement age to 62 would cost most workers 9 billion euros annually, a financial think tank estimated this cost at 34.7 billion euros.
Philippe is trying to show voters that his financial plan is the right path for a country facing increasing public debt and a budget deficit of over 5 percent. He emphasized that France must return taxes to normal to restore its credibility on the European stage.
Economic and Industrial Plans
Philippe also criticized EU regulations, stating that the ban on internal combustion engines by 2035 has been "disastrous." He emphasized the need to support the European internal market, saying, "If anyone wants access to the European market, they must produce in Europe."
He referred to the need for new "made in Europe" laws that would protect European producers against foreign competitors. In this context, the European industrial commissioner, Stéphane Séjourné, also referred to an agreement between France and Germany to strengthen tariff protections regarding "made in Europe."
Philippe also called for European sovereignty in the field of artificial intelligence and emphasized the need to regulate it as "a tool for power."
